We choose what we eat for a variety of reasons: taste, convenience, cost, and health concerns. Food manufacturers capitalize on consumers’ desire for healthy foods by adding ingredients that are marketed to help protect our immune system, improve mood, and increase energy levels.

According to a market analysis report, these added ingredients, known as functional ingredients, are expected to grow by 6.4% annually over the next seven years. While whole foods like fruit, vegetables, and whole grains are essential for good health, today’s consumers are shifting toward fortified convenience foods and beverages that contain functional ingredients. 

Three popular functional ingredients you’ll find in various foods and beverages are turmeric, collagen, and green coffee extract. Let’s talk about that last one…

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world, and potential health benefits of coffee on metabolic syndrome, Type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease have been extensively researched.

Green coffee is the name for unroasted coffee beans that contain higher amounts of chlorogenic acid (CGA) — the phytochemical in coffee that provides many of the health benefits — than roasted coffee.

Studies using CGA have found that it decreases fasting blood sugar, insulin levels, triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol as well as reducing body weight and decreasing body fat.

In 2015, researchers investigated the possibility of adding ground green coffee extract as a functional ingredient into bread. In 2021, CGA-7, a unique extract that contains all 7 isomers of chlorogenic acid present in green coffee beans, was approved for GRAS status by the FDA. FDA grants GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status for food additives shown to be safe under the conditions of its intended use.

However, it’s not known if CGA-7 added to foods as a functional ingredient will provide similar health benefits as supplements or even drinking coffee. Moreover, while there is research on functional ingredients in supplement form, there is no research that shows the amounts added to foods have any measurable health benefit.

References:

1. Institute of Food Technologists. 411 on Functional Foods. https://www.ift.org/career-development/learn-about-food-science/food-facts/food-facts-food-health-and-nutrition/the-411-on-functional-foods published 2.13.21; accessed 3.28.23

2. Nutritional Outlook. Which are tumeric’s biggest product opportunities? https://www.nutritionaloutlook.com/view/which-are-turmeric-s-biggest-product-opportunities  Mike Strauss, 10.21.20. Accessed 3.28.23

3. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Tumeric. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/turmeric#:~:text=Curcumin%20is%20a%20major%20component,contain%20a%20mixture%20of%20curcuminoids. Last updated May 2020. Accessed 3.28.23

4. Paulo E.S. Munekata, Mirian Pateiro, Wangang Zhang, Ruben Dominguez, Lujuan Xing, Elena Movilla Fierro, Jose M. Lorenzo, Health benefits, extraction and development of functional foods with curcuminoids, Journal of Functional Foods, Volume 79, 2021.

5. Food Navigator USA. Collagen gains popularity in functional foods, especially bars, sports nutrition, and beverage powder. https://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Article/2020/06/30/Collagen-gains-popularity-in-functional-foods-especially-bars-sports-nutrition-beverage-powders  Elizabeth Crawford, last updated 6.30.20; accessed 3.28.23

6. Khatri M, Naughton RJ, Clifford T, Harper LD, Corr L. The effects of collagen peptide supplementation on body composition, collagen synthesis, and recovery from joint injury and exercise: a systematic review. Amino Acids. 2021;53(10):1493-1506. doi:10.1007/s00726-021-03072-x 

7. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The Nutrition Source. Coffee. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/coffee  last reviewed July 2020. Accessed 3.28.23

8. Nutraingredients Europe. Researchers explore the functional benefits of green coffee beans. https://www.nutraingredients.com/Article/2015/03/30/Researchers-explore-the-functional-potential-of-green-coffee-beans Nathan Gray, last updated 4.20.15; accessed 3.28.23

9. National Library of Medicine. MedLine Plus. Green Coffee. https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/natural/1264.html last reviewed 8.29.22; accessed 3.28.23

10. Asbaghi O, Sadeghian M, Nasiri M, et al. The effects of green coffee extract supplementation on glycemic indices and lipid profile in adults: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of clinical trials. Nutr J. 2020;19(1):71. Published 2020 Jul 14. doi:10.1186/s12937-020-00587-z https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7983441/ 

11. Nutraceuticals World. CGA-7 Green Coffee Extract by Vidya Herbs Achieves Self-Affirmed GRAS Status

12. https://www.nutraceuticalsworld.com/contents/view_breaking-news/2021-04-09/cga-7-green-coffee-extract-by-vidya-herbs-achieves-self-affirmed-gras-status/ Mike Montemarano, Associate Editor 04.09.21; accessed 3.29.23

13. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) https://www.fda.gov/food/food-ingredients-packaging/generally-recognized-safe-gras current as of 12.20.22; accessed 3.29.23